The present invention relates generally to apparatus for transporting spinning tubes to and from textile spinning machines and, more particularly, to an apparatus for transporting spinning tubes supported on tube support members for use in supplying empty spinning tubes to, and removing fully-wound spinning tubes from, a textile spinning machine of the type having multiple spinning stations.
Spinning tube transport apparatus of the aforementioned type are used in particular in textile spinning machines having spinning stations along each of two opposite sides thereof, e.g., conventional ring spinning machines. Typically, such a transport apparatus utilizes a driven transport arrangement which travels alongside the spinning stations and includes a plurality of spaced transport members for engaging and transporting therewith support members, e.g., peg trays, on which spinning tubes are supported, thereby to align the tube support members in spaced relation corresponding to the spacing between the spindles of the spinning station. In such tube transport apparatus, peg trays carrying empty spinning tubes for supply to the spinning stations are delivered to the driven transport arrangement at an infeed location therealong and peg trays carrying fully-wound spinning tubes removed from the spinning stations are discharged from the driven transport arrangement at a spaced discharge location therealong.
West German Offenlegungsschrift DE 37 12 027 Al discloses a spinning tube transport apparatus wherein peg tray-type spinning tube support members are guided along a guide track extending in a U-shape about an associated spinning machine. A transport element is provided in the area of each of the spinning stations and is operative through a back-and-forth motion to move peg trays forwardly along the guide track. A mechanism is provided in
association with the transport elements to move the peg trays only during a forward stroke of the back-and-forth motion of the transport element. The infeed and discharge locations for the peg trays are in the area of an end frame member of the spinning machine. In order to supply the spinning stations at both opposite longitudinal sides of the spinning machine with spinning tubes, the tubes must be guided around one end of the spinning machine. Thus, during an automatic bobbin exchange operation, empty spinning tubes supported on peg trays disposed along such portion of the guide track at one end of the spinning machine do not participate in the bobbin exchange operation and, accordingly, must be segregated following the exchange operation.
West German Patent Application No. P 38 12 342.8 discloses a spinning tube transporting apparatus wherein a transport arrangement in the form of an endless metal band or belt is directed about suitable guide or deflection rollers in a generally upstanding relation to travel along each opposite side of a spinning machine. The upstanding transport belt is adapted to engage and transport peg tray-type tube support members slidably along a guide track. In conventional fashion, each peg tray has a main plate-like body from which a central support pin extends upwardly for mounting of a spinning tube on the peg tray. The peg trays are aligned by the transport arrangement at spacings corresponding to the spacing of the spindles of the spinning machine, making it possible to exchange empty spinning tubes for fully-wound spinning tubes on the machine spindles by means of an automatic tube replacement apparatus.
In German Patent Application No. P 39 18 876.0 , a spinning tube transporting apparatus is disclosed which utilizes a driven transport arrangement having carrier elements affixed thereto to serve as support receptacles for tube-supporting peg trays. The transport arrangement includes guide elements which travel slidably in a guide track extending along the longitudinal sides of the spinning machine, the guide track having a guiding edge along which the support pins of the peg trays travel.